


the weakest hands can still make impressive fires

by 910suisei (orphan_account)



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Angst, Arguing, Canon Compliant, Friends to Lovers, Idiots in Love, Late at Night, Love Confessions, M/M, idk when this is set but, literally based on a tweet i saw once, they live together ok
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:08:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24975874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/910suisei
Summary: When Sehun forgets their plans again, Chanyeol lets his emotions get the best of him.
Relationships: Oh Sehun/Park Chanyeol
Comments: 10
Kudos: 57





	the weakest hands can still make impressive fires

**Author's Note:**

> title is from protomartyr's "cowards starve". please enjoy! or else

Chanyeol rechecks the clock, just like he’s been doing every five minutes for the past three hours. This time, it’s still 12:31 AM, just like it was thirty seconds ago. 

Chanyeol sighs dejectedly, burying his head in his hands. He runs them down his face and checks the time again. 

  
  


It was the second time this week that Sehun seemingly “forgot” about their plans. Chanyeol was supposed to come to pick him up promptly at 8 PM. At 7:55, Chanyeol was greeted by an empty dorm, just as the silence had surrounded him since then. 

It shouldn’t bother him this much, really. In fact, Sehun could blow him off any time he pleased. Twice in one week, even. It definitely didn’t annoy Chanyeol whenever the younger was out late without sending him a quick text informing him of his whereabouts, especially when they had plans in the first place. 

Chanyeol accidentally slams his drink down onto the counter, the sound ripping him from his thoughts. He didn’t quite realize how worked up he was getting, observing the brand new crack in the glass. Maybe he should sleep this off.

  
  


As soon as he makes his decision, hopping off the stool to toss away the glass, he hears the sound of the front door unlocking. First, the keypad code is typed in wrong. Cursing ensues, then it’s typed in again, and the door swings open.

Chanyeol checks the clock. He does  _ not _ want to confront Sehun at nearly 1 AM, so he turns his attention to pretending to wash the broken glass in the sink. 

He can hear Sehun humming as he tosses his keys onto the table, removing his jacket and hanging it up. Suddenly, a sharp pain shoots up Chanyeol’s finger. He had chipped the glass while washing it, and now blood began to seep from a cut in his skin. 

“Ah, fuck,” annoyance begins to bubble over, blood beginning to boil. This wouldn’t have happened if Sehun hadn’t been so selfish and self-centered and—

“What’s wrong?” Sehun peers over the counter to get a look at Chanyeol. 

  
  


“What’s  _ wrong? _ ” Chanyeol turns off the water, hastily grabbing a paper towel before whipping his head around to face Sehun. “I’ll tell you what’s wrong.”

  
  


“Ah, you’re bleeding,” concern written on his face, Sehun kicks off his shoes and rushes toward him, but Chanyeol steps back, features twisted into a scowl.

  
  


“Aren’t you forgetting something?”

Sehun glances at Chanyeol’s foot tapping impatiently. He shakes his head. “You need a band-aid, Chanyeol. I’ll get the first aid.”

  
  


“Sehun, no, you-” he clicks his tongue, “I don’t care about that right now. Where did you go?”

Sehun blanks before he furrows his brows, arms crossing over his chest. “So you’re just going to let it bleed or get infected?”

  
  


“Sehun.”

  
  


The younger scoffs. “What? I went out.”

“Okay, and it just so happened to be on the night we already had plans? Again?” Chanyeol’s gaze is icy.

Sehun makes a shrugging motion. “Look, I’m sorry. It must’ve slipped my mind. We can go out some other time, okay?”

  
  


Chanyeol wraps the towel around his finger before wagging said finger in the air, like he was trying to place something in his mind. “Something’s going on. Twice in one week? Not bothering to tell me either time?”

  
  


“What do you want me to say? I was busy,” Sehun leans back against the counter as nonchalantly as possible when in reality, his best friend was getting on his nerves.

Chanyeol nearly explodes. “Busy?! Busy  _ what? _ Getting plastered? Fucked? What could be so fucking important for you to blow me off?”

“Woah, what the fuck?” Sehun pushes his back off the counter, “how is any of that your business?”

  
  


“It is my business when it shows you don’t give a fuck about our friendship!” Sehun can imagine the walls shaking as the older one begins to shout.

“Don’t you yell at me,” Sehun spits back, “You’re making a big deal out of this.”

“No, you know what? I don’t think I am. In fact, who were you with?”

  
  


“What? I-”

“Seriously, who were you with?” Chanyeol steps closer, on the offensive. His stomach churns and his insides quake. 

  
  
  


Sehun has his arms crossed, an impatient, scornful look on his face. "Why the fuck do you even care so much?" 

"You—Okay, fine, just… forget it, Sehun," Chanyeol turns halfway around, putting his hands on his hips and shaking his head.

"No, seriously, why do you care?" Sehun's tone is that of a challenge as his chin lifts higher.

Raising his voice, Chanyeol snaps, "I said forget it," glaring at Sehun and hoping to put the issue to rest. 

"Oh, come on!" exasperated, Sehun points at Chanyeol, " _ you're _ the one that brought it up, and  _ now _ you want to keep quiet? You'll talk a mile a minute about fucking shoelaces!" Sehun forces out a laugh as his fists clench by his sides, "So tell me, Chanyeol! Why the  _ fuck _ do you care so much if–"

  
  


"Because I love you!"

  
  


Sehun pales. Chanyeol focuses on the sound of their clock ticking.

He counts six seconds. Sehun's fists unclench as he swallows.

  
  


"You… you what?"

  
  


Chanyeol tries to regulate his breathing, tries to reason with himself, but it tumbles out of his lips again. 

“I love you.”

  
  


"You're joking."

  
  


"God, Sehun, I'm not," He looks sheepish, yet sincere, and Sehun is completely taken aback, "I've been thinking about it lately. You're on my mind, like all the time, and last time when you blew me off, I wondered why it annoyed me so much. I figured out it's because I want to be with you, take you out, stuff like that. I've never felt this way before; I guess I got a little jealous and carried away."

"Oh, Chanyeol," Sehun raises his hands to cover his mouth in astonishment, "I had no idea… I didn’t even know you were… you were…”

  
  


“I know, but…” Chanyeol looks down and unravels the towel to find his cut has healed and is no longer bleeding. He tosses the bloodied towel in the sink, along with his inhibitions. “How could I not fall in love with you, Sehun?”

The last part is so quiet, so vulnerable that Sehun feels tears prick at his eyes. 

  
  


“I…”

  
  


“I want to make you happy. I… I like it when you’re happy. I like being near you. I like your face. You’re everything I could’ve ever wanted.” 

  
  


“Wanna shut up before I start ugly crying?” Sehun wipes at his eyes, causing Chanyeol to look slightly concerned, so Sehun rushes, “Chanyeol, I love you. I love you so much. I told myself I couldn’t hang out with you because I couldn’t pretend to see you as just a friend. The truth is you have my entire heart and then some.”

“I’m…” Chanyeol can’t help himself—he is utterly transfixed by the beauty before him, by the crystalline tears flowing from earthy brown eyes that he laughs nervously before closing the distance between him and Sehun, hands on either side of his head as he presses their lips together. 

It’s sparks and all, New Year’s Eve fireworks, Zeus’ lightning strikes during a thunderstorm. Sehun has never felt something so right, so comfortable and familiar, yet like every one of his nerve endings had been set on fire. Chanyeol realizes that, at this moment, all of his dreams have come true.

Chanyeol pulls away slightly to press their foreheads together, wiping his wet cheek with his thumb before pressing a kiss to his skin, his jaw, his neck. Sehun responds with a breathy sigh.

Chanyeol mouths I love you’s against the younger’s skin, over and over as a way to make up for lost time. Sehun thinks time spent with Chanyeol wasn’t lost at all. Either way, they’ll have their whole lives to argue.

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> thanks :)


End file.
